


Aftermath

by RedTeamShark



Series: With My Little Eye [11]
Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Author Chose Not To Tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-26
Updated: 2014-01-04
Packaged: 2019-09-06 09:38:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16830037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedTeamShark/pseuds/RedTeamShark
Summary: Six months after escaping the killer grasp of 5MG, someone is still keeping tabs on the members of 6 and the Hunters.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Proper warnings, tags, etc, may come in the future. For the time being I'm frantically transferring my content to a stable platform amidst growing concerns about tumblr's inevitable implosion.
> 
> Apologies for flooding the fandom page.

“And news is breaking this morning in London, where a group of individuals claiming to be former contracts of a government-sponsored espionage group known as ‘5MG’ have gone anonymously public with information about the group, releasing documents detailing everything from information theft to assassination attempts on world leaders, all purportedly supported by the Crown. No one in official standing has released anything yet, but we’ll continue to monitor the story as it develops. Meanwhile in Greece…”

The TV flicked off after a moment, bringing silence to the small hotel room. A smile curled on the patron’s lips, laptop computer being drawn closer, fingers on keys sending out a quick message. Task done, the room’s occupant stood, stepping into the small bathroom. Quick hands pulled long hair back into a ponytail, nimble fingertips checking a gun before securing it under her arm. When she left the room there was a new message on the laptop and she scanned it briefly, smiling widely and nodding.

“Well, then, time to move forward.” Barbara Dunkleman, former agent (specialty: detractor elimination) for 5MG, current whistle-blower for the group’s very illicit activities, said into the empty room. She packed her things, settling the new communicator into her ear and leaving the hotel. No one took notice of her as she left, which was good.

She had several very important meeting to greenlight.

–

“Conjugal visits in the drunk tank?” The man asked, crossing his tattooed arms and raising an eyebrow at the woman that stood on the other side of the bars. Rather than flush with embarrassment as he expected, she only smiled.

“I’m flattered, but you’ll want to check your sass if you know what’s good for you.” Her voice lowered slightly. “Michael Jones.”

He froze for just a moment, saw the look of triumph on her face at his surprise, then frowned. “You have the wrong person. My name’s Vincent Smith. Who the hell are you?”

She didn’t look at him, instead opening the bag held in her hand and removing a single piece of paper, handing it through the bars. After he took it she resumed her smile. “Lindsay Tuggey, but that’s irrelevant. I’m going to assume you can guess who I used to work for. We’ve been following you, of course, keeping tabs. Trying to keep you safe, though you seem to want nothing but trouble. Really now, bar fights? What are you, twelve?” His eyes skimmed the paper as she spoke, his frown deepening. “I’m here to get you out of this cell before the wrong person recognizes you, just as we’ve been doing for the past six months. And then…” She splayed her hands in offer. “Perhaps you’d like some direction in your life again? To have somewhere to go besides a prison cell?”

He considered the question, eyeing up the sheet of paper she’d handed him once again, before nodding slightly. “I’m listening.”

“Good.”

–

“Keeping tabs on me.” He repeated flatly, taking another sip from his beer and looking around the yard.

“It was a necessary move.” The man pulled his baseball cap off, running a hand through his dark hair before settling it in place again. “Protective only.”

The tattooed man didn’t answer, instead gesturing to the two females in the yard, currently involved in painting a large mural on a sheet. There was fondness in his sleepy blue eyes, but the rest of his posture was tense. The man in the baseball cap sighed slightly. “Look, Geoff, we did what we could to—“

“Do you have a family, Caleb?” He interrupted, turning towards the younger man, his eyes now as hard as the rest of him.

“I have a girlfriend, but that’s not—“

“Do you know what it’s like to try to protect someone you love more than life itself? Do you know what it’s like to be afraid that your wife won’t come home from the grocery store because some fucker grabbed her, threw her into a van, and all to get to you? To be afraid to let your daughter walk to a friend’s house in case someone snatches her up? It’s not a normal fear of a husband and a father, it’s knowing that if it happens, it’s _all your fault_. Knowing that you have every means of protecting people, but no ability to protect those that mean the most to you without smothering them. Do you know what kind of _fucking hell_ that is? It’s been hard enough helping them adjust these last few months and now you want me to just uproot all of that and get back into your game? Fuck you. Get off my property before I send you off in a body bag.”

Caleb swallowed, standing and nodding slightly. “I’m sorry…” He began, glancing towards the two paint-spattered individuals in the yard. “I didn’t mean to make trouble for you. I just… 5MG is no more, I don’t know if you saw that on the news, but I just wanted to let you know that you should all be safe now. Nothing more.” After a moment of quiet, he backed away, quickly heading out to the car he’d driven over.

And he thought facing Eberle on a bad day was intimidating…

–

Somehow it wasn’t a surprise that tracking down 6 was the hardest part. Dunkleman had touched on every bit of her personal expertise to find the pair of spies, Free was certain that they’d be together still, and they’d collectively called in favors to nearly a thousand document forgers they knew, looking for anyone that had caught sight of the pair since that afternoon in Waterflow.

To former 5MG agent Kara Eberle’s surprise, she found them quite by accident.

They were working in Austin, routing through contacts, herself and Farmahini, her control, tirelessly searching for clues on the location of Ryan Haywood and Ray Narvaez Jr. It was a frustrating job, full of late nights and long searches that led to dead-ends, trying to trace the pair from when they’d last spoken to Heyman.

One of those late nights found Kara at a nearby coffee shop, needing a small pick-me-up to keep her going on the trail. She gazed over the menu without really seeing it for a time, a soft voice behind her making her jump, clutch her oversized purse a little tighter as she turned around.

“Sorry.” The man spoke with a sheepish smile, rubbing his bandaged hand to the back of his neck. “Didn’t mean to startle you. If you’re not sure, mind if I go ahead? Someone’s waiting for me.” He gestured across the coffee shop where another man, bigger with lighter hair and eyes that were everywhere at once, leaned not-quite-casually by the door.

“Oh, sure.” She started, stepping aside to let him ahead, heart coming to a sudden stop in her chest. Recognition made her eyes widen, before she forced herself to relax, to resume the calm, out-of-it stare that she’d had just a moment before.

The barista taking her order seemed to crawl along and Kara resisted the urge to shift from foot to foot in impatience, watching in the mirrored surface of the coffee machines behind the counter as the two men added cream and sugar to their cups, gathered napkins and straws and made their way to the door. It was them, it was Narvaez and Haywood, right in front of her, still in Austin (who had seen that one coming?) and if she let them get away now she might never have a chance to see them again—

“Your drink, miss?” The barista offered, sounding a little annoyed. Kara forced herself to be composed, taking her eyes off the pair for a crucial second to take her coffee, turning around rapidly.

They were gone, the door swinging shut. Without a thought she darted across the shop, slamming outside and scanning the nearly empty parking lot. Two figures moving into the shadows across the lot, not towards a car but towards a small footpath. Kara grit her teeth together, determined not to lose them, leaving her steaming coffee cup on top of the trash can as she began to follow them.

The path led between bushes and she followed along it, silent as the night around them, starlight illuminating her way. She’d lost sight of them in front of her, but she could hear footsteps and easy conversation just ahead, one of them (Narvaez, she was almost positive) relating a tale to the other and—

“Don’t move.” Cold metal of a gun in her back made her freeze, very carefully lifting her hands from her sides. Jogging footsteps ahead of her, her purse yanked from her shoulder, tossed to the ground in front of the smaller man. The gun pressed more insistently to her spine, warm breath at her ear. “That’s a good girl. Try anything funny and you’re dead.”

She swallowed, watching as Narvaez looked through her bag, glad that she’d only brought the bare basics with her. And a little intimidated that Haywood had gotten the drop on her—she was good, one of 5MG’s top agents, but she hadn’t had a clue he was behind her until the gun was at her back.

“Why are you following us?” He asked now, hand skimming along her sides, feeling for weapons.

Swallowing again, forcing herself to remain calm, she watched the other man as she spoke. “My name is Kara Eberle, former agent for 5MG. Six months ago I assisted Gruchy and Free in getting you two out of Austin alive. You may have heard that we’ve blown the whistle on 5MG’s illegal activities since then, and we’ve also been looking for you.” And now she dared a slow turn of her head, meeting Haywood’s steady gaze over her shoulder. “Not with any ill intent, of course. Keeping tabs to make sure you’re all safe was one of Gruchy’s direct orders, we just hadn’t been able to find you.” Screeching tires from the street and Kara sighed, knowing she was almost out of time. “That’s my back-up, you triggered an alarm when you threw my purse and they’ll be looking for me. We don’t want to interfere with you, so your best option is to give me back the bag and we’ll go our separate ways.” She could hear footsteps crunching through gravel, Shawcross and Luna probably finding the path through the bushes. “Unless, of course, you’re interested in an offer I’ve been instructed to put out for you.”

The press of the gun finally left her back and she relaxed, slowly taking her purse from Narvaez when he held it out to her. She looked between the two, shouldering the bag and offering a small smile. “Your decision, but the person making the offer seemed rather hopeful that you’d agree to it.”

“Let’s discuss, then.” Haywood answered, holstering his gun. “Call off your guard dogs, though, if you will.”

Kara smiled, turning to face the direction she’d come. “Shawcross, Luna, it’s alright! Everything is under control!” She called, glancing towards the two spies briefly. “You won’t believe who I stumbled across…”

Even she was having a hard time believing it.

–

“You’re really difficult to follow.” The man with the messy dark hair noted, taking a drink of his beer and leaning on the bar.

“Comes with the territory. I’ll give you credit, I didn’t think I was worth tracking halfway around the world.” The bearded man smiled, taking a sip of his own drink.

“Not to me, personally, but there are some people that I owe favors to who were pretty insistent we get in touch. How have you been since Waterflow?” He smiled back, keeping his voice pitched slightly low.

“Decent. Quiet. I don’t draw attention if I can help it. I don’t want the wrong person to make the wrong connections. Is the news story accurate?”

“As accurate as a news story can be. We’ve already done plenty of damage from the inside, a large network of us spread out over so many areas of expertise, how could we not? Now it’s just a matter of burning the corpse so it can’t come back.” He rested his elbow on the bar, smile dropping from his face. “But this isn’t about us, not really. It’s about an offer we have for you.”

“Taking the quiet out of my life already? It’s only been six months.” The bearded man chuckled, shaking his head. “I don’t know if I can take you up on that, Heyman.”

A hand ran briefly through his hair, Heyman shrugging. “Taking the boring out of your life. Giving you something to do with the skills you have. I’m not saying you have to agree, but we’d like it if you did, Pattillo.”

Patillo stood, setting his empty bottle on the bar and looking towards the door. “It’s something I have to discuss,” he began, twitching the ring he now wore on his left hand briefly, “but I’m sure you’ll know my answer when I have one.”

“Congratulations, by the way.” Heyman offered, nodding to the ring. “I heard it was a nice ceremony.”

“You’re getting the bar tab.” Was Pattillo’s only response, sure steps bringing him to the door, bright sunshine flooding the dim bar briefly as he left.

“Of course I am…” The other man muttered, pulling out his wallet. He slipped his PDA out as well, tapping out a brief message to Dunkleman while the bartender totaled up his tab.

It seemed that everything was moving as they wanted it to.

–

Dunkleman spun in her chair, pulling her PDA from her pocket as it chirped. The two men in the room lifted their eyebrows simultaneously, waiting as she read the message on screen. After a moment the blonde woman grinned, putting the device back into her pocket.

“Things are moving forward nicely. You were correct about all of their reactions, Free.” She lifted her coffee mug from the table, taking a sip and sighing. “I still can’t believe Eberle found 6 still in Austin.”

“I can.” Gavin shrugged, sipping his own drink. “It was always a possibility that they’d stay and it seemed more likely when we couldn’t find any changes. It’s why we put Eberle and her boys there, after all.”

“So how long until the next stage, Barbara?” Dan questioned, leaning back in his chair and folding his hands behind his head. “You seem to have taken over this operation.”

She didn’t look chastised, if that had been the goal of his comment, instead shrugging. “Finding people is my specialty, Gruchy. We’ll be moving to phase two in a few days. Tuggey is bringing in Jones now, we’re waiting on agreement from Pattillo, Haywood, and Narvaez, and we’re waiting for Ramsey to get curious.”

“Right on schedule…” Gavin agreed softly, offering Dan a small smile. “Who would have thought things would play out so well?”

The dark-haired man shrugged, standing from his chair. “Well, you are dealing with all of the members of 5MG that were smart enough to start asking questions. Is it really that surprising that we can put together a project like this?”

Gavin and Barbara exchanged a glance and a brief smile, before the sandy-haired man turned to his friend. “Not with a leader like you, b.”


	2. Chapter 2

The car ride was quiet, only the sound of the radio and occasional comment from the GPS filling their ears. In the passenger seat, Michael tapped his fingertips on his thigh, gaze on the passing streets. Lindsay had already filled him in one most of the details that she said he’d need, and there wasn’t much else to talk about. He glanced towards her, sighing slightly.

“I can’t believe you’re dragging me back into this.”

“Michael Vincent Jones, worked for the prominent DeCavalcante family in New Jersey until a big bust by the FBI sent you on the run. You were an interrogator for them, but really nothing more than a torturer who happened to get lucky with good answers. After the bust you drifted around the United States, getting into bar fights and robbing gas stations. In and out of prison cells around that and you managed to pick up skills with firearms and some better interrogation techniques in the meantime. Two and a half years ago you were approached by Jack Pattillo about a job in the protection business, after he found a video online of you interrogating someone. And from there your every move is on file, thanks to Agent Gavin Free.”

“I didn’t ask you for my life fucking story.” He crossed his arms, glaring out the window.

“Your life story is exactly why you’re in this car with me. I got you out of that drunk tank and dropped the assault charges, you could have walked away. But you would have walked into another bar, gotten into another fight, and been behind bars again within a week. You need structure in your life; an acceptable place to put your anger and a way to use your skills. And you know exactly who can help you with that.” She slowed to a stop at the traffic light, closing her eyes for a moment. “The world is always going to need people who know when it’s time to shoot and ask questions later and when it’s time to get answers out of people. We need you, Michael Jones.”

A huff of displeasure left him as the car accelerated again, his gaze still not meeting her. It wasn’t like it mattered. He was in the car and he had been at her mercy since she showed up outside his cell. Bar fights weren’t exactly fun, anyways.

She called it needing structure. He called it needing entertainment.

–

Another late night found her at a familiar coffee shop, needing a caffeine boost after several days without much sleep. Kara yawned as she took her cup to the cream and sugar set-up, almost bumping into someone as she rounded the corner of a small display. “Ah, sorry…” Her gaze moved upwards, seeing a familiar face.

The man frowned slightly, looking around the coffee shop quickly before returning his attention to her. Before he could speak, she waved a hand.

“You’re not being followed, if that’s what you’re wondering. I didn’t get a chance to drink my coffee the last time I was here, so I figured I’d come back.” She stepped around him, setting her cup on the counter and getting sugar packets from the small dish.

It didn’t surprise her when he joined her outside a minute after she’d left, neither of them making eye contact as they sipped their drinks.

“So you’ve considered my offer?”

“We’ve discussed it. You might not be following us, but we’ve been following you.” He turned to look at her then, raising one eyebrow. “You realize that if this hurts Ray in any way, I’m going to murder each and every one of you, right?”

“Yeah, Free said that was a possibility. I can’t guarantee anything, but if you’re there to protect him from our opposition, he should be fine. We don’t intend to hurt him.”

“Who else has this been discussed with?” Haywood questioned, eyes narrowed.

“There’s a handful of us from 5MG, mostly people who were close to getting burned by them or just good friends with someone who started asking questions. Heyman from Waterflow, myself, my control and the two guys from the other night. Free and Gruchy, of course. We’ve extended the invitation to the Hunters, but so far only Jones has responded in the affirmative. We’re waiting for Ramsey to get curious and Pattillo to agree to come back.” She shrugged, finishing her drink and tossing the cup away. “Coffee here is pretty good.”

When she looked back at him, Haywood was staring across the parking lot, a frown on his face. “Ray and I come in on our own. You have directions for us?” He questioned, blue eyes not leaving the tree across the parking lot.

Kara nodded, pulling a small GPS from her purse and handing it over. “Everything is queued in there. We’ll be heading out tonight. If you don’t activate the GPS and get moving in twenty-four hours, it’ll automatically memory wipe and you’ll never hear from us again.” She paused, smiling brightly when he looked to her. “I hope you’ll take us up on it, though. You guys have me curious.” With a small wave she left to go back to base, packing the rest of the items there and getting in the car driven by Luna. Farmahini and Shawcross had left already in a different car, on a different route to the rendezvous.

“You think they’ll join us?” Luna questioned as he drove, sending a glance towards her.

“Free does, and that’s reason enough for me to believe that they will.” Kara smiled brightly, propping her feet up on the dashboard. “Free’s the one that’s been most successful at predicting their movements so far.”

–

“Denecour?”

“At your service. Even if it is two in the morning.”

“Why did you really come to my house last week? It wasn’t to tell me about 5MG, I saw that shit on the news.”

“We have an offer for you. Those of us that helped all of you escape with your lives and your loved ones. It’ll put you back into the game, Ramsey.”

“So in other words, exactly what I accused you of.”

“More or less.”

“Who else is involved?”

“That you care about? Jones is on board. Pattillo is a maybe. 6 is almost certainly a yes.”

“And?”

“And Free will be there.

“Ramsey? Are you interested?”

“Keep my family safe and send a pick-up for me in the morning. No earlier than 10.”

“I’ll be meeting you personally. Sleep well, Mr. Ramsey.”

The phone line went dead and Caleb smiled, sending a quick message to Gruchy. Just as Free had predicted, Ramsey had come around to their side of things.

“What’s he gonna be right about next?” Caleb mumbled, setting his alarm once the message was sent, lying down in his cheap motel room bed and forcing himself to try and sleep. He wasn’t used to working in the field like this, missed being in the background, working next to Tuggey at the computers. At least he hadn’t had to go after Jones, though. Rumor was that guy was dangerous.

–

They saw each other at the airport bar, a completely unsurprising turn of events. Each man only held a single suitcase, exchanging a look without words as they drank their beers and stepped over to the gate. It wasn’t until the plane was in the air, out over the Pacific and headed for America that he spoke to the man seated next to him.

“Your wife is going to be taken care of while you’re gone, of course.”

“Stay away from her.” The bearded man’s voice was harsh, his gaze on the expanse of blue sky and white clouds outside the window. “I feel bad enough leaving her alone to come back to this life, so don’t drag her into this.”

He frowned, crossing his legs in the roomy business class seat. “Then why come back?”

“Don’t pretend like you don’t know why, Heyman—“

“You can call me Joel. We’ll be working together enough that you may as well.”

Silence stretched between them again, held until the plane touched down in Los Angeles. The two men separated as they went through customs, reconvening in the airport bar and again sharing drinks.

“What’s this job, anyways?”

Heyman grinned, finishing his beer and opening his suitcase, pulling out a file. “Something fun. Something we need you for.” He answered, handing over the papers. “I suppose Gruchy and Free won’t mind that I told you before their big, dramatic reveal. Dunkleman will probably want to choke me for it, though.”

Pattillo looked over the papers, giving a weak chuckle and shaking his head. “Somehow, I’m not surprised that Free is involved in this kind of crap.”

Heyman rolled his eyes. “Tell me about it. He’s always been trouble.”

The men left the airport, hailing two cabs from different companies and giving directions to an agreed-upon hotel. From there Heyman would pick up a car and they’d be on their way to meet everyone else.

–

For the second time, 6 and the Hunters converged upon a location set up by Gavin and Dan.

This time the two former members of 5MG were joined by Barbara Dunkleman as they waited, watching the men and women they’d called forward come in. Lindsay Tuggey arrived first with Michael Jones, followed closely by Kara Eberle, Miles Luna, Kerry Shawcross, and Brandon Farmahini. While Michael sat back on the couch waiting for others to show up, the members of 5MG caught up in person on the happenings they’d been part of over the last several days, making sure that all of their information was the same.

Ryan Haywood and Ray Narvaez Jr. showed up at around the same time as Caleb Denecour and Geoff Ramsey, Jack Pattillo and Joel Heyman only minutes behind them. With everyone gathered and comfortable (even the tensions between 6 and the Hunters seemed to have been diffused, much to everyone’s relief), Dan stepped forward, clapping his hands to get everyone’s attention.

“I’m sure it’s been a long trip for some of you, so let’s worry about why we’re here later. For now, get to know each other, enjoy some food on me, get some rest if you want it. This place is safe, Free and I have been staged here for a few weeks now and we’ve made sure of it. We’ll discuss why everyone is here in the morning, if that’s alright.” He looked around the room, waiting for the surely oncoming slew of questions.

Michael was the only one that spoke, crossing his arms and frowning. “Where is Gavin? Too scared to come see us in person?”

Dan shifted his weight, clearing his throat and nodding towards the door at the back of the room. “He’s still assembling last-minute details on everything. We’ve been a bit busy since Waterflow.”

Without hesitation, Michael headed for the door, pushing past Heyman and stepping into the room. He slammed it behind him, the sound of the lock turning very loud in the suddenly silent room. Dan sighed after a moment, looking around. “Well. You’re all welcome to do what you want as well. I’m gonna get a drink.” He stepped past the others, pouring himself a strong drink and downing it quickly.

Eberle sidled up next to him, glancing at the door. “Want me to break it down, Gruchy?”

Looking at the door, considering it, the dark-haired man shook his head. “Let them work it out. Things have been rough for Jones since Waterflow, I guess.”

The blonde woman nodded, carefully shifting her bag to her other shoulder. “Shawcross, Heyman and I are going out for patrol, then. We’ll be on channel four if you need us.” With a nod from Dan she was out the door, joining the two men in drawing guns and beginning to circle the large farm house.

While the rest of the room began to disperse towards beds and food, Dan leaned on the door, just hoping that Gavin wasn’t being murdered in there.

–

The room was dark, lit only by the glow of several computer monitors. Gavin didn’t look up when the door opened, waiting until it shut to speak.

“So what do you think, b?”

Silence from the other man caused him to glance over his shoulder, eyes widening slightly to see Michael there, rather than Dan. “Michael…” He mumbled, the word almost a question. Gavin tried to get to his feet when the other man took three rapid steps towards him, nearly falling over his chair.

It was all for naught, his arms grabbed, body slammed against the wall and air leaving his lungs in a rush. Michael leaned into him, gaze intense, and posture stiff. Gavin heaved for breath, finally making eye contact and seeming to freeze in the moment.

Well, to say that the curly-haired man was pissed was probably an understatement.

They continued the stare-down for nearly a minute before Michael let go, stepping away and letting Gavin finally get his breath back to normal. “You cut your hair.” The Brit managed, not quite daring to move from the wall.

“You didn’t.” Michael shot back, planting a hand on the wall next to Gavin’s shoulder, leaning closer to him. “Why am I here?”

The plan was for Dan to explain everything the next day, but telling that to Michael wouldn’t really benefit him. “We need people to help us finish the job with 5MG, to burn the corpse, so to speak, and—“

“No, Gavin, not that. Why am _I_ here? Why did you care enough to keep busting me out of prison?” Michael cut him off, eyes narrowed. “Lindsay told me about the last six months, the monitoring, the bail money. Why can’t you just fucking decide if I mean something to you or not, you prick?”

Understanding dawned in Gavin’s eyes and he slowly lifted his hand, brushing it along Michael’s cheek. He didn’t have the ability to explain it, couldn’t even begin to try, but the gesture seemed to convey enough of his feelings to get the other man to calm down and take a step back.

“Are you busy?” Michael questioned, looking around the mostly dark room.

“Preparing things for tomorrow, mostly.” Gavin stepped away from the wall, going over to the computer and taking a seat again. “Why?”

“It’s been six months since we’ve seen each other and we didn’t have much of a goodbye. We should… hang out.” Michael shrugged, looking away. “Shut your goddamn mouth, you’re the only person I’ve ever hung out with that I didn’t want to constantly punch.”

“I didn’t say anything.” Gavin smiled, however, tapping a few more keys before getting to his feet. “Bevs?”

“You were gonna say something.” Michael offered a tentative smile back, nodding. “Yeah. You can tell me what you’ve been up to since Waterflow, since my life is pretty much public knowledge.”

A snicker from the Brit. “Not really public knowledge, don’t worry… Vincent Smith.”

“You shut your goddamn mouth. Is Gavin Free even your real name?”

He snorted laughter, stepping out of the door and giving Dan a small, reassuring nod. “I dunno, is it?”

Michael followed behind him, shaking his head. Even after everything that had happened, having Gavin back made things seem right. It shouldn’t have, he should have been on edge, knowing he’d been tracked down by a group of people that worked for an organization that wanted him dead. But hearing Gavin’s voice, seeing his face, knowing he was involved… Michael couldn’t help but feel alright with it.


	3. Chapter 3

For the first time in a long time, Michael and Gavin not only got drunk together, but got into a very heated verbal-turning-physical confrontation. Gavin’s laughter and shrieks of surprise could be heard throughout the house, punctuated by yelling from Michael and various crashes and bangs as they tussled on the floor of the (thankfully mostly empty) room. Dan shook his head, sighing heavily and slumping on the couch. Gavin had warned him about the behavior, but that didn’t make it any better to listen to. Next thing he knew, the sandy-haired man would be sleeping with Ryan and Ray again, too.

Geoff was seated next to him, glaring at the wall and slowly emptying a bottle of whiskey. Dan eyed him up and down carefully, curious how Gavin had known the tattooed man would come back into the game, even after his rather violent reaction to Caleb.

“ _He doesn’t care about his own life, is all. Even with a wife and a kid, he’s kinda… suicidal-by-cop. Or, you know, suicidal by circumstances, b._ ” Gavin had said, shrugging and leaning in his chair. “ _He’ll come back because he doesn’t have any other way to live but to try to die._ ” It hadn’t made sense then, and it still didn’t make sense now, but just like everything else about the five men that they’d fought so hard to protect six months ago, Gavin was right.

“There’s a bedroom if you want to be alone—“ Dan started to offer, his words cut off by the older man.

“I don’t.” Geoff took another large swallow of his drink, wiping his mouth and glaring at the wall. “And I don’t want to talk.”

“Fair enough.” Dan sipped his own drink, tilting his head back and eyeing Lindsay and Barbara on the other side of the room. The two women had laptops open before them and were animatedly discussing something that he couldn’t quite keep up with. It was either hyper-technical or had to do with fashion. Both fields were gibberish to him.

Except for Caleb, most of the former members of 5MG were alternating sleeping schedules with patrol schedules, keeping the perimeter secure for the night. Caleb had volunteered to take over for Gavin when the Brit decided to get shit-faced and start fighting with Michael, and was currently locked in the monitor room, writing up plans that Gavin would have to go over in the morning. Assuming he wasn’t too hungover (or beat up) to comprehend them.

He’d lost track of the members of 6, but supposed that they were together, wherever they were. His best guess was that they’d found a room together somewhere in the house, away from the noise of everyone else. He didn’t know them as well as Gavin, but he’d been reading his friend’s information for two years and thought that he had a fairly good grasp on them. Pattillo was also in a bedroom, working through the time difference from Australia to the United States.

With all parties accounted for, Dan felt comfortable having a few drinks and just relaxing. As far as he could tell and Gavin could predict, things were going exactly according to plan.

–

“Ah, Michael, no! Michael, please!” Gavin yelled, laughing and rolling over, pinning the curly-haired male beneath himself for a bare moment before a knee forced itself into his gut. He was flung to the side, Michael staggering to his feet and tackling him again, grappling for his wrists. Gavin squirmed, managing to get out from under the other man, rolling to the far side of the room. He leaned on the wall, holding up a hand and breathing heavily as Michael advanced on him. “G-Give me a damn minute, you donut, I can’t bre—“ His word was turned into a high-pitched squeak of surprised laughter as he was yanked to his feet, pulled into the air and tossed over Michael’s shoulder. The scrawny Brit kicked his legs and pounded his fists against the other man’s muscular back, shrieking to be let down.

“You weigh like eight pounds, you fuck. I could carry you like this forever.” Michael grumbled, though he tossed Gavin onto the bed, laughing hard enough at the way the other man landed—upside-down with his ankles at his ears and his flushed face smashed into a pillow—that he doubled over and held his stomach. “Fuck, I’m gonna throw up from laughing…” He wheezed out, collapsing next to him and breathing heavily.

Gavin slowly righted himself, almost rolling off the bed in the process, falling into another fit of laughter. He flopped himself on top of Michael, reaching over and snagging a beer bottle, somehow unspilled, from the table, taking a quick drink. “Bloody fuck, Michael…” He mumbled, pressing his cheek to the other man’s trembling back. “I missed this.”

The mood in the room seemed to shift, the laughter drying up as Michael squirmed and sat up, letting Gavin’s head fall into his lap. He ran a hand through the other man’s sandy hair, tugging lightly. “Shut up, moron.” The words were spoken with affection, however, his brown eyes still holding laughter. “You’re lying and you know it.”

Rather than protest it, sit up and argue, Gavin only shrugged. “I guess that’s all you’re ever gonna believe about me.” He agreed, taking another drink from the beer bottle. “After all, you nothing me, right? I’m nothing to you anymore.” He kept a steady gaze on Michael, watching the humor slip from his eyes. His gaze grew distant for a moment, before he refocused on Gavin, shrugging.

“Whatever. You’re nothing but a lying sack of shit to me.”

Then Gavin did sit up, leaning close to Michael’s face without warning, touching a hand to his cheek. “Yeah.” He agreed softly, threading his fingers into the other man’s hair. “Yeah, I am. Don’t forget it.” The empty beer bottle fell to the floor with a hollow thunk as Gavin leaned closer, resting his other hand on Michael’s shoulder.

Abruptly, the auburn-haired man planted both hands on Gavin’s chest, shoving him back and causing him to fall from the bed, arms pinwheeling. He pointed, laughing and shaking his head. “You don’t fucking fancy gingers, remember?”

Gavin made a face from the floor, kicking his legs against Michael’s ankles petulantly. “Well, maybe I do when I’m drunk.”

“I woulda fucked you way before now if that was the case.”

“Oh, bitch, please. I’m the one that’d fuck you.” Gavin shot back, squealing and kicking his legs more desperately when Michael dove onto him from the bed. Without hesitation they were at it again, screaming cusses at each other and throwing each other around the room.

For a little while, it was like nothing had ever changed.

–

Ray lay in bed with his head on Ryan’s chest, hearing the older man’s steady heartbeat through his skin. One of the brunette man’s arms was around him, hand gently stroking his hip, while he skimmed through his phone with the other, probably reading a book. The Puerto Rican sighed softly, planting a light kiss in the center of the other man’s chest.

“What’s on your mind?” Ryan asked without looking up from his phone, words rumbling up from his chest.

“We’re really listening to Gavin?” Ray questioned, wiggling just a bit closer and closing his eyes. “He lied to us before, and…” He wiggled his hands, unable to articulate exactly what was on his mind. Luckily, Ryan seemed to understand.

“We’re hearing what they have to offer. Then we’re deciding if we stay or go. If I had to venture a guess, based on what that Eberle woman was willing to tell us… they probably want us to work with them to counter-act whatever’s left of 5MG. They know that they got us out of the whole Gavin situation alive and figure that at least some of us might feel like we owe them a favor. Plus…” He set his phone aside, wrapping both arms around Ray and pulling him closer. “You really believe that everything Gavin ever said to us was a lie?” It was a question they’d both been contemplating for the past six months, neither speaking it aloud until that moment.

Hesitating just a second, the Puerto Rican shook his head. “It can’t be. There was too much… too much that was real about it.” He mumbled, pressing his face to the other man’s chest and sighing. “I think that he just said that so that we could walk away.”

“And then he called us back and we came, so… you’re probably right. I doubt Gavin and Dan would have called us in on this if they thought we were going to turn on them. Even that Michael guy, for all his looking pissed and yelling, he hasn’t put a bullet into Gavin yet.” Ryan shrugged, leaning down to kiss the top of Ray’s head. “We’ll listen to their offer tomorrow and then make our decision, though, okay?”

Nodding slightly, Ray tilted his head up to plant a kiss on the other man’s lips. “Michael said to me in the car… Something about Gavin having seen him at his worst and he could trust him because of that? I don’t remember. But I knew what he meant… Way back when we met him… There’s a reason I went to him for help instead of just going after you myself.” Ray nodded again, sighing. “…You know, I bet his group arranged that whole fiasco, too. The in and our was too easy.”

Ryan rolled his shoulders, not agreeing but not quite disagreeing. Instead he removed his arm from around Ray, picking up his phone again. “Get some rest, okay? We’re probably going to be busy soon.” To his relief, the smaller man nodded, wriggling around under the blankets until he was comfortable. In minutes he was breathing evenly, his face relaxed and peaceful with sleep. Ryan continued to read on his phone, lightly stroking his partner’s hair with his free hand.

When morning came, he’d have plenty of questions to ask. For now he was content to know that someone else was taking care of his and Ray’s safety and he could relax for the first time in months.


	4. Chapter 4

Everyone was gathered in the large room that had originally been a dining room but had seen some changes. The central table remained, chairs on either side occupied by 5MG, the Hunters, and 6, the three groups arranging themselves almost without thought—5MG on one side, 6 and the Hunters on the other. Dan stood before them with a laptop in front of him, tapping at the keyboard and frowning slightly. To his right sat Gavin, looking tired and bruised but alert.

Tense silence filled the room, the people around the table focusing only on the dark-haired man that stood at the head of it. Dan sighed, nodding to Gavin once before he stepped back, hitting a small remote in his hand. Behind him the wall lit up with an information display projected wirelessly from the laptop. He looked among the group, before shrugging.

“Most of this is rehash, but just to make sure we’re all on the same page. I’m Daniel Gruchy, former control for 5MG. My job was to be the main point of contact between Agent Gavin Free and our other resources—field operatives, offices, what have you. Our assignment was to monitor the groups known as 6 and the Hunters, to pit them against each other once we had enough information, and to make sure they all ended up dead. Two years into the assignment I discovered that 5MG had no plans of giving Gavin nor myself further work—we were to be terminated once everything was wrapped up with the job. So I started working on an extraction plan for the two of us and when Gavin, independent of my knowledge, decided that he wanted the five men he’d been working simultaneously with and against for two years to also be safe, I did what I could there. That was the Austin to Waterflow event six months ago, and almost all of you were somehow involved.” Idly, Dan wondered why he was always the one making these speeches. He really didn’t like public speaking that much. “Obviously, I wasn’t the only one asking questions about 5MG. Operatives from all different divisions were getting curious. Agents, like Miss Eberle, way-bys like Mr. Heyman, analysts like Miss Tuggey and Mr. Denecour. We all had questions and by some miracle we all found people we trusted enough to ask with. And now we’re all here.” He spread his hands, sighing. “Well, how the 5MG half is here. Gavin, you want to take over?”

The sandy-haired man stood, stepping up next to Dan and focusing his attention on the five men on the left side of the table. He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “My job for over two years was to know everything about you five. I got so far inside your heads I could tell you… Well, just about anything about yourselves. I knew what you’d do, when you’d do it, how you’d react to any given situation. Sometimes I think I knew these things before you did, but that’s probably my ego talking. The only thing I didn’t see coming was when Ray was captured and my cover was blown… That was never supposed to happen. As two groups, 6 and the Hunters perfectly cancel each other out. Everything that you specialize in is neutralized by the opposition. That said, if you worked as a cohesive whole… Well.” He shrugged, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as he looked at Michael and Ray. “The Austin to Waterflow event showed what sort of potential even teaming up two of you had. Anyways, all this knowledge didn’t just go away after Waterflow, though we put it on the back burner. We made sure 5MG wouldn’t go after you, then had to take care of ourselves and the allies we found.”

Dan tapped the remote in his hand, he and Gavin stepping aside as a series of news clips about the explosive reveal of 5MG’s covert actions played. The dark-haired man smiled, nodding to Lindsay and Barbara. “Thanks to Agent Dunkleman and Miss Tuggey for compiling the clips. As you can see, we’ve done quite a bit of damage on our own. But we can do more if we all work together.”

“So what you’re saying is that you want us to help clean up your mess.” Ryan cut in, frowning and leaning forward slightly. “Stick our necks out for you.”

Exchanging a glance, Dan and Gavin only shrugged. “No one is making you agree.” Dan noted. “But we thought you might be interested in destroying the group that sent you running from your comfortable lives.” Silence greeted the statement, and Dan rushed on. “Look, forget Gavin for a minute. 5MG would have found both of your groups regardless, you all were just too good at what you did. They would have built an agent or two agents or however many it took, they would have worked with you and against you simultaneously, and they would have killed you. You’re alive now because they made the mistake of putting Gavin and I on the job, and most of them are dead now because they made the mistake of trying to double-cross my best friend.” Dan’s hands slammed onto the table, his dark eyes looking over each of the five men individually. “This isn’t about what Gavin did while he was working for 5MG, it’s about what Gavin did when he realized what the endgame meant. It’s about a cell phone left under a mattress and the first words he said to me being ‘I need to get them all out of there.’ Do you understand me?” Again he locked eyes with each man, holding the stare until they averted their gazes.

Michael was the first one to look back at him, any sort of hesitance replaced by a cocksure smirk. “I’ll do it.” He offered, sending a glance towards Geoff when the tattooed man whipped his head towards him. “I’m gonna beat the shit outta people regardless, it may as well be directed. Just like old times, huh?”

Before he could answer his former employee, Jack spoke up, running his fingertips over his new wedding ring thoughtfully. “How long does it last?”

“How long do you want to stick around?” Gavin answered immediately, smiling slightly and nodding towards the ring. “Congratulations, by the way. Small civil ceremony and a private yacht honeymoon like she wanted?”

“Creepy bastard.” Jack smiled, however, nodding. “I can’t promise to stick around for the long game, but a little revenge on the people that put Gavin into my life? Yeah, I’m game.”

Ray and Ryan exchanged a glance, the younger slowly massaging his bandaged hand. He leaned over, whispering something into the brunette man’s ear, receiving a short nod in return. “We’re in.” Ryan offered, sighing and leaning back. “Why the hell not… we’re in.”

All eyes turned towards Geoff, who crossed his inked arms and frowned. “Can you promise that my family is going to be safe?”

Caleb was the one who spoke up, leaning forward slightly to make eye contact with Geoff. “We can do our best to make the same decisions for them you would make.”

That seemed to settle something in the other man, as he pushed away from the table and stood up, moving towards the door. Gavin frowned slightly, lifting a hand to stop him, his arm dropping when Geoff spoke.

“You guys are all assholes. Where’s the fucking whiskey, I’m not going into this agreement sober.”

Stunned silence greeted the words, before Dan snickered. “You were wrong for once, b. I think you owe me a hundred quid for that. Liquor’s all in the kitchen, Geoff.” He smiled, waiting until the man returned to resume speaking, addressing the group as a whole. “It’s not going to be an easy task, hunting down the remnants of 5MG, and they’re going to be as well-trained as the rest of us. But we’ll do it and we’ll all sleep easier knowing they’re dead.”

Despite claiming to not want to be in a leadership role, Dan fell into it easily, laying out plans for his gathered allies, explaining strategies and theories as he clicked through the information on the laptop. Gavin or Barbara occasionally jumped in with some added information, but for the most part it was Dan’s show.

He reached the end of the slideshow, turning off the laptop and again looking around the room. “So… everyone up for it?”

The consensus was immediately and enthusiastically positive.

And so they were in it again.


End file.
